Pakistan’s Tennis icon Aisam-ul-Haq retires after historic ATP final appearance

Pakistan’s most accomplished tennis player, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, bid farewell to professional tennis on Saturday at the Islamabad Tennis Complex, concluding a career that spanned more than two decades.

The 44-year-old played his final match alongside partner Muzammil Murtaza in the doubles final of the Islamabad ATP Challenger, where the pair lost to Dominik Palan of the Czech Republic and Denis Yevseyev of Kazakhstan.

A day earlier, Aisam and Murtaza had become the first all-Pakistani pair to reach the final of any ATP event — a milestone widely hailed as a historic moment for national tennis. Although the duo fell short of the title, the occasion marked the end of an era for the sport in Pakistan.

Born in Lahore to renowned tennis player Nosheen Ihtsham, Aisam shifted his focus fully to tennis at age 12 after initially dividing his interest between cricket and swimming. He went on to become Pakistan’s most successful professional tennis player, securing more titles than any other Pakistani and setting national Davis Cup records for singles, doubles and overall wins.

Aisam’s international breakthrough came in 2010 when he reached both the men’s doubles and mixed doubles finals at the US Open. His partnership with India’s Rohan Bopanna — popularly known as the “Indo-Pak Express” — earned global attention for combining high-level performance with a message of cross-border cooperation.

Off the court, Aisam gained recognition for his humanitarian work through the Haq Foundation and his “Stop War Start Tennis” initiative. His efforts earned multiple honours, including two Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year awards, national commendations and recognition as a “Champion of Peace” at the Peace and Sport Forum in Monaco. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched relief drives that delivered ration bags to families in need across Pakistan.